The Buddhist Experience - 28th April 2010

Year 9 pupils gain an insight into how British Buddhists live their lives in Manchester.

In April, 40 intrepid year 9 students ventured into Manchester to visit the city's Buddhist Centre.

One of the biggest skills that students have to master in Religious Studies is to understand how other people live their faith and to try to empathise with them.  This  can be really difficult, especially if we do all our learning in the classroom.  It is important to meet people from the major world religions.  This is why Year 8 students met a Muslim artist recently and why the Year 9 group visited the Buddhist Centre.

Manchester Buddhist Centre is a large building that used to be a warehouse, but was bought and converted in 1996 so that followers of Western Buddhism had a place to meet and worship in the city centre.

When we arrived at the Buddhist Centre we were welcomed by our guide for the morning, Munisha.  She explained that most Buddhists look just the same as any other member of the public, and that there are not many actual Buddhist monks and nuns in the UK.

Whilst on the visit the students went into the 'Earth Cafe' where they were treated to a fruit smoothie and into the 'Buddha shrine room', where Buddhists can go to worship and meditate.  The students asked lots of questions about Buddhist life and worship. 

All the students learned what a special place the Manchester Buddhist Centre is.  They also had a much better understanding of how a modern day Buddhist lives their life in Britain.